Positive Behavior Support (PBS) in Icelandic Elementary Schools: A Review of the Literature

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadErfið hegðun nemenda í skólum er algengur vandi sem erfitt getur verið að takast á við. Heildstæður stuðningur við jákvæða hegðun (e. positive behavior support; PBS) er alhliða stuðningskerfi sem samanstendur af mismunandi úrræðum á þremur þrepum þar sem tekið er tillit til ólíkrar hegðunar nemenda og þeim veitt íhlutun í samræmi við þarfir hvers og eins. Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að PBS dregur meðal annars úr hegðunarvanda og bætir námsástundun. Á Íslandi hafa verið gerðar nokkrar rannsóknir á árangri af innleiðingu PBS í grunnskólum. Markmið þessarar yfirlitsrannsóknar var að kanna hvað niðurstöður þeirra rannsókna sýndu og varpa þannig skýrara ljósi á næstu skref í rannsóknum á PBS á Íslandi. Í heild virðist PBS yfirleitt áhrifaríkt, en þó eru ákveðnir vankantar á innleiðingunni í sumum tilfellum. Sömuleiðis þarf að gera fleiri og fjölbreyttari rannsóknir á Íslandi, sérstaklega á miðþrepi kerfisins. Efnisorð: Heildstæður stuðningur við jákvæða hegðun, PBS, grunnskólar, hegðun, hegðunarvandiAddressing student behavior problems represents a variety of challenges for educators. Positive behavior support (PBS) is a comprehensive, evidence–based, service–delivery model aimed at promoting student academic and behavioral achievement that has been implemented across several schools in Iceland. PBS consists of a number of prevention and intervention strategies delivered across three tiers of varying intensity, based on student need. Overall, research has demonstrated that implementation of PBS can reduce problem behavior (e.g., as measured by number of office discipline referrals), increase academic engagement and promote prosocial behavior. A few studies have been conducted regarding the effectiveness of PBS in elementary schools in Iceland. In the present study, we reviewed the available research literature concerning the effects of PBS implementation on student behavior in Icelandic elementary schools, with the aim of identifying major and minor findings, limitations, and future research directions. Taken together, results were mostly positive; however, several limitations also were noted, including a lack of supervision for school staff and follow–up support, as well as intervention fidelity and maintenance. Collectively, our findings indicate PBS holds much promise as a model for school–based service–delivery within the Icelandic education system. Keywords: Positive behavior support, elementary schools, Iceland, behavior problems, conduct problem